Stay & Play

The Hilton San Francisco Union Square

by Mike Cohen

When selecting a hotel, location should always be a key requirement. The Hilton San Francisco Union Square just happens to be the largest hotel on the entire West Coast, with more than 1,900 rooms and in an ideal spot for tourists.

Located in the theatre district and within walking distance to cable cars, the Moscone Center and about one mile from night clubs, Chinatown and Nob Hill, this Hilton is also just a short walk away from Macy’s and the upscale Westfield San Francisco Center are only a few blocks away.

This historic three-tower hotel provides rooms with city views, the Cityscape lounge on the 46th floor and a ballroom that occupies an entire floor. You can relax on their16th floor pool deck. It’s only 14 miles from the San Francisco International Airport.

We stayed in one of the hotel’s newly renovated Tower Two Luxury suites, which has a main bedroom with two Queen sized beds and a small sofa. This connects to a much larger room –called a parlor – which features a Murphy bed, two sofas, a round dining room table that can seat six and windows on all sides. Combined you have two bathrooms, two fridges, two in-room safes, more cupboard space, which adds up to ultra-comfort. There is also a tablet in each room, which provides you with all of the necessary hotel and city information. For a nominal charge you can surf the net with it as well.

The hotel even has a Suites Director, a fine gentleman named George Ferris. At the front desk there are plenty of staff to take care of you and I very much appreciated the able assistance provided by the concierge team.

Classic guest rooms offer HDTV and Wi-Fi access while ultra-modern rooms showcase city skyline or bay views. Accessible rooms are also available. There’s plenty of choice for dining here. Head to Herb ‘N Kitchen where you can eat your way – sit down, grab and go, or order to your room. Urban Tavern is the place to be for breakfast and the Lobby Bar is the perfect setting to unwind after a busy day. I enjoyed the breakfast buffet at the hotel a couple of times during my stay and it was terrific!

Whether conducting business, keeping up with a fitness routine or looking to spend quality time with your family, this Hilton hotel provides the amenities you expect and the extras you deserve. A Business Centre is located in the lobby level of Building Two. It includes computer work stations, conference room rentals, rentals for audio/visual equipment and conference rooms, a fax machine, and data phones with web access, Express mail and even secretarial services. For your fitness and recreational convenience, enjoy the fully equipped 2,800 sq. ft. health club with high calibre equipment.

www.sanfrancisco.hilton.com